The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ARIANNA Vanderpool-Wallace, the Bahamas Swimming Federation’s 2014 Swimmer of the Year, is having another sensational season so far this year as she competes in the 2014-15 Arena Pro Swim Series in the United States.

Competing for the MAC-North Carolina team, which was in town in March when she collected her hardware during the initial BSF awards banquet for her stellar performance, pulled off a double victory in the women’s 50 and 100 metres feestyle at the 2015 Arena Pro Series in Mesa, Arizona at the Skyline Aquatic Center over the weekend.

On Saturday, Vanderpool-Wallace, the 25-year-old graduate of Auburn University, got her second taste of victory at the meet when she took the 50m free in 24.84. Simone Manuel got second in 24.98. Vanderpool-Wallace had the fastest qualifying time of 24.72.

Just before that, Vanderpool-Wallace touched the wall first in the 100m in 54.18 seconds to beat out the field that included American Allison Schmitt, who was second in 55.35. Vanderpool-Wallace split the first 50 in 28.52 as she trailed Schmitt, who came through the half-way mark in 28.34.

In the preliminaries, Vanderpool-Wallace finished with the third fastest time of 54.38, turning in a split of 28.41.

Natalie Coughlin had the fastest qualifying time of 54.18, but she didn’t contest the final. Coughlin, the 12-time Olympic medallist, was the fastest qualifier in the morning with the exact same time as Vanderpool-Wallace in the final. Coughlin scratched the final in order to return home to California. Also scratching were Katie Ledecky, who won four events at the meet (200, 400, 800 and 1,500 freestyles), while Simone Manuel and Lia Neal also headed home.

Also during the meet, Vanderpool-Wallace had to settle for sixth place in the 100m butterfly in 1:00.41, producing a split of 33.40. Kelsi Worrell was the winner in 58.24. Vanderpool-Wallace had the third fastest time in the preliminaries in 59.62 with a split of 32.43. Worrell was the fastest qualifier in 58.63.

Mesa was the fourth stop on the 2014-15 Arena Pro Swim Series that got started at the University of Minnesota in November. The fifth stop is set for Charlotte, North Carolina at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center May 14-17. The series will wrap up at the George F Haines International Swim Center in Santa Clara, California, June 18-21.

Vanderpool-Wallace is preparing to compete at the 16th FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia, July 24 to August 9. Her goal, however, is to represent Team Bahamas at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016. It will be her third appearance at the games.